Czech exports reach record 4.2 trillion crowns in 2017

Exports by Czech companies reached a record 4.2 trillion crowns last year,
an increase of 5.7 percent year-on-year, the Czech Statistical Office
confirmed. Exports to China rose by one-fifth while exports to neighbouring
Germany rose by 7.3 percent; Germany remains the Czech Republic’s biggest
export market; 32.8 percent of total exports from the Czech Republic last
year were to the neighbouring country, accounting for 1.38 billion crowns.

The vast majority of exports from the Czech Republic are to EU countries:
83.7 percent.

Balance of trade surplus of CZK 152.6 billion recorded for 2017

The Czech Republic experienced a balance of trade surplus of CZK 152.6
billion last year, according to figures released on Monday morning by the
Czech Statistics Office. The result was CZK 11.1 billion down on the
balance of trade surplus recorded in 2016.

Compared to the previous year, Czech exports increased by a record 5.6
percent, to CZK 4.2 trillion, in 2017. Imports grew by 6.3 percent.

Over 1,000 flats planned for ex-industrial site in Prague’s Vysočany

Over a thousand new apartments are to be built on a former industrial site
in the Prague district of Vysočany, E15 reported on Monday. Factory halls
of the collapsed firm ČKD DIZ are to be demolished to make way for the
construction project, which is the biggest yet from billionaire developer
Milan Šrejber and his Pankrác development company, the newspaper said.

A representative of the firm said the flats would be built in five or six
stages. The apartment complex, named Vivus Kolbenova, will cost over CZK 3
billion.

Austrian chancellor says eastern European countries should expect less in
EU funds

Eastern European countries in the European Union who are net recipients of
EU funds, should count on receiving less from the EU budget in the future,
Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said.
He made the statement in an interview for Austrian daily Der Standard.

The chancellor said that the Visegard Four’s view was at variance with
Austria’s when it came to the EU’s budget plans. The V4 is made up of
Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Kurz told the daily that the Austrian government saw eye-to-eye with the V4
on other topics, such as the rigorous protection of the EU’s external
borders to clamp down on illegal migration.

Brewery Budějovický Budvar to invest 600 million crowns in production

The state-owned brewery Budějovický Budvar will invest 600 million crowns
into production and development, news site iDnes reports, citing spokesman
Petr Samec. According to the daily, new investment will go towards a new
logistics centre and a new production line for its bottled beer.
The spokesman told the daily, that the brewery was almost at full
production capacity currently. Last year, the firm invested 700 million
crowns and by 2020 the sum will be two billion crowns.

NHL: Plekanec clinches milestone 600 points

Montreal Canadiens’ forward Tomáš Plekanec has become the 14th Czech in
the history to clinch a milestone 600 points in his NHL career. The
35-year-old center, who has been with the Canadiens his entire NHL career,
got an assist on the Habs’ third goal against Ottawa. The final score
ended was 4:1 for Montreal.

The team, in sixth spot in the Atlantic division, has won its last two
games.

Weather

Tuesday should be mostly cloudy with a chance of sunny periods. Daytime
temperatures are expected to remain below 0, at around -2 degrees Celsius.